AfroTalks Lagos 2025 transformed the Alliance Française in Ikoyi into a hub of African innovation and self-belief — proving what’s possible when Africans fund, build, and scale their own ideas.
The highlight of the event was AfroPitch 2025, a 48-hour startup challenge designed to turn conversations into ventures.
The initiative, curated by AfroTalks and led in partnership with fintech strategist Mariama “MJ” Jalloh, brought together early-stage founders solving problems in agriculture, fintech, AI, education, and healthcare.
The Big Idea
AfroPitch was born from AfroTalks’ mission to amplify African stories, ignite the African Dream, and influence policy through research and sustainable impact.
The goal: prove that African innovation deserves African capital — and that lasting progress will come from systems built by Africans, for Africans.
From Stage to Startup
Out of 30 entries, three startups made it to the final pitch before a diverse panel of entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors.
Judges — including Dr. Ashley Milton (CEO, She Grows It), Mariama Jalloh, and Bright Tenbil (Founder, AfroTalks) — evaluated pitches for business viability and social impact.
The winning idea, NSFC (Not Safe For Children) by David Ogunbanjo, introduced a “safe SIM card” aimed at protecting minors from harmful digital content — a locally inspired solution with global relevance.
Ogunbanjo received the ₦1,000,000 AfroPitch Pre-Seed Grant, presented by Jalloh.
Partnership as Power
The challenge echoed AfroTalks’ 2025 theme — “Matrix: Navigating Inherited Systems That Influence the African Dream.”
Founder Bright Tenbil described AfroPitch as “the action wing of AfroTalks — where dialogue turns into design, and vision becomes venture.”
Jalloh’s involvement reinforced a key belief: transforming Africa’s systems requires collaboration between thinkers and doers, diaspora expertise, and local talent.
Beyond the Grant
AfroPitch didn’t end with funding. All finalists received 15-minute advisory sessions with Jalloh to refine their business models and compliance strategies — ensuring that innovation doesn’t stop at the stage.
That built-in mentorship loop forms part of AfroTalks’ long-term blueprint for nurturing sustainable startups.
The Pan-African Vision
As AfroTalks gears up for Kigali 2026, AfroPitch will evolve into a continental accelerator linking East and West African founders, investors, and policymakers.
The next edition — themed “Beyond Borders: Building Systems for Africa’s Integration” — aims to create a cross-border funding and mentorship pipeline for ethical, scalable African startups.
“We’ve proven that African founders don’t need permission — they need systems,” said Jalloh. “AfroPitch is one of those platforms. AfroTalks is the ecosystem that sustains it.”
